In Cold Blood
by NeverAgain03
Summary: During the Season R breakup. When Serena protects Darien during battle, she dies in his arms. Distraught, Darien blames himself. Can a mysterious visitor from the future give them a second chance or is it too late to save their Princess?
1. Chapter 1

Okay, I would just like to say this is a **TRIAL CHAPTER**. I am writing the story but want to know if I should continue it, so I want everyone's opinion! If I get some good reviews then I will keep writing and updating the story. Thanks!

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><p>"<em>I don't think I should see you anymore Serena."<em>

_The words cut through Serena, making her feel like a bucket of ice cold water had been thrown over her. Her heart constricted and her breath caught in her throat. A thousands knives were piercing her flesh as she tried to make sense of the words that had come from Darien's mouth. He...didn't want to see her? Why would he say that? It just didn't make sense. _

"_You're kidding? Aren't you?" she asked, hoping he had just been playing some sort of nasty joke on her. How could he joke about their love?_

"_No Serena. We're through!"_

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><p>Serena sunk lower into the orange chair she was sitting on in the Fruit Parlor Crown as the memory of <em>that<em> moment replayed in her mind. She had tried to stop herself from thinking about it, but everywhere she went, she was reminded of him and the memories they had together. Then reality would slam into her and remind her there was no longer a 'them'.

Two weeks had almost passed but tears still sparkled in her eyes at the thought of no longer being with him. No longer being able to run up to him with a giant hug and complain about her low scores. No longer being able to drag him along to all the shops she loved to visit. No longer being able to grasp his hand in her own and pull him down to share a kiss.

Serena reached out to her untouched strawberry milkshake and absentmindedly began spinning the straw around the glass. Her four closet friends sat around her, happily sipping their drinks and discussing a new transfer student at school who was, as Mina put it, "a total hottie hunkster!"

But Serena was paying absolutely no attention to their conversation, for she only had one man on her mind. She was picturing his ebony hair and the way it felt when she ran her hands through it; she was remembering his sparkling blue eyes and how they use to light up when he spotted her; she was imagining him running up to her in the pouring rain and begging her to take him back.

The flimsy walls she had built around her fragile heart were crumbling with every memory. She was still trying to make sense of everything. After Darien had regained his memory, happiness had filled Serena's heart. One day they had been so happy together, laughing together without a care in the world. The next, he had been telling her it was over between them. What had gone wrong? Had she done something to upset him? Was it because he had realised she was just a young, immature kid? Was it because she never passed any of her tests? What?

He hadn't given her an explanation why and it was killing her. At least if she knew why, she could try and fix it; try and change. She would do anything..._anything_ just to have him back. Study harder, try to mature, cut off her meatballs! But would doing any of those things bring him back into her arms?

She had tried to talk to him, just to understand _why_, but every time he saw her coming, he would turn and walk too fast for Serena to catch. Could he really no longer stand the sight of her?

Didn't he remember their previous life? Their forbidden love? They had loved each other a thousand years ago when she was Princess Serenity of the Moon Kingdom and he had been Prince Darien of Earth. Their devotion for each other had been so strong, they had died just to hold hands one last time. She had assumed their strong desire for each other had lasted those years but she was doubting that now. She still loved him now just as much, if not more, than she had in their previous life, but Darien no longer felt the same.

"Serena, you in?" Mina asked.

"Huh...what?" Serena looked up to see four pairs of eyes staring at her.

She thought her friends hadn't noticed her lack of conversation but it was on all of their minds. Their bright and bubbly Serena was disappearing before their eyes. She no longer dragged them to the arcade or shared ice creams with them. In fact, they were concerned about her lack of eating. In less than two weeks, she had lost enough weight for her to require a belt to hold up her deep blue school skirt, and her top hung loosely on her frame. That wasn't the only change to her appearance. Her luscious blonde hair no longer held a gorgeous shine, her skin had paled dramatically and deep purple bags under her eyes showed her lack of sleep. Her personality had changed too. She no longer smiled, nothing seemed to make her happy and she hadn't had a klutz attack in a week. That definitely wasn't their Serena.

Her four Scouts were greatly concerned about her. None of the girls had believed it when Serena had ran up the steps of the Cherry Hill Temple in tears, claiming Darien had broken up with her. Raye had yelled at her to stop crying, thinking that she had just been overreacting. Mina had told her Darien had just been in a bad mood and said something he didn't mean. Amy had suggested that Darien wanted a break so Serena could focus on her studies. Lita just said she would go over and karate chop his ass.

All of the girls had assumed Darien would say sorry the next day and everything would be okay again. But as the days passed, their hope for reconciliation faded. They had done everything they could think of to cheer up their leader; sleepovers, trips to the arcade, double chocolate sundae's. But nothing had helped. They had decided to act like nothing was wrong, as Serena had been doing just that, or at least she had _trying_ to act like nothing was wrong.

"You in?" Mina repeated.

"Yeah," Serena said with a forced grin, acting like she had been listening the whole time. She inwardly groaned and wondered what she had just agreed to.

Mina looked around at her friends, exchanging glances of concern. Lita shrugged her shoulders.

"How are you guys going with your studies?" Amy asked to break to silence.

"Well I've been trying to study but it's just so hard, so I give up and go searching for boys instead," Mina said with a giggle.

Raye rolled her eyes. "Come on Mina, it's not that hard."

"That's cause your private school is easy!" Lita joked.

Raye growled but was silenced by a look from Amy.

"How about you Serena? How are your studies?" the blue haired girl asked.

"Alright," was the reply.

A silence followed when the four girls were stuck for words. None of them wanted to say something to upset Serena but they desperately wanted to pull her out of her depression.

"I'm going to go for a walk," Serena announced, standing up from the table. She had walked away before any of the girls had replied.

Four pairs of sad eyes watched her figure through the window as she walked down the street.

"She didn't even touch her milkshake," Lita observed. Normally nothing could keep the meatball head from her strawberry drink.

"I've had enough of this!" Raye practically yelled at the girls, making them jump in their seats, "She needs to pull herself together!"

"Give her a break Raye," Mina replied, "She just had her heart broken by the love of her life."

"Yeah," Lita agreed, "We all thought her and Darien were going to last the distance. Let her grieve."

"How is she supposed to be our leader when she looks like she can barely stand up, let alone defend Tokyo against our enemies?" Raye challenged. She did feel sorry for her friend but they had to think about how they were going to defeat their enemies with a sobbing, weak Sailor Moon.

They had only had two Droid attacks in the past two weeks and although Sailor Moon had managed to defeat them, it had taken her longer than usual and they had seen the strain on her features. Tuxedo Mask had not appeared at any of the attacks. The Senshi had been glad of his absence. Having him swoop in only to disappear moments later would not be helpful to Serena's recovery.

"Maybe we should give her a break from Sailor Moon? Let her heal while we take care of the Droids?" Amy suggested.

"I wish we could but we need her 'Moon Scepter Elimination' attack," Lita reminded them. Although their attacks were strong, it was the moon scepter which finished the Droids.

"So what are we going to do?" Raye looked around at her friends. Some part of her wished her friends would elect her leader, just while Serena was healing. They needed a strong, unbreakable leader, and right now, Serena was none of those things.

"I guess we just wait and see if she gets better," Mina said.

A gloomy silence fell upon the girls as they each thought of their broken leader and the pain she was experiencing.

Lita once again looked over to the untouched milkshake. "I miss our old Serena."

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><p>The sun was shining intensely upon the suburb of Azabu Juban. Many families and couples were enjoying the fabulous weather, walking down the streets with joined hands. One person who was not appreciating the wonderful glow was the broken Serena Tsukino. While everyone else on the streets was laughing and relishing the feel of the sunshine on their faces, Serena walked with her head turned down, wishing it would rain. At least then everyone would be as miserable as her.<p>

She had left the Fruit Parlor Crown in a hurry, claiming she wanted to walk but what she really had wanted was to get away from her friends. Sitting near them had been nearly unbearable for Serena. She didn't want them asking her about Darien, but acting like nothing was wrong had hurt her just as much. They had tried to sympathise with her at first, but none of them knew the pain she was going through. Had they had their heart broken by their soul mate? No. So it was alright for them to laugh and enjoy their drinks without a care in the world. How could they expect her to do the same?

She knew they were wondering about what to do with her. They probably didn't want her to be their leader anymore. She couldn't blame them. She wasn't as strong as she used to be. Destroying that ice Droid three days ago had taken more energy from her than usual. She had had to steady her knees to stop herself from falling once the Droid had been defeated by her attack. If she didn't pull herself together soon, she would be no help to her Senshi. But how could she get over her true love? It was going to take time...time you don't have when you're a Sailor Soldier.

Serena's head bowed lower as she attempted to stop the tears forming in her eyes from failing. She was paying absolutely no attention to where she was walking. She didn't care.

She had just successfully pushed the tears back when she finally realised where her feet had taken her. She was standing on the bridge in the park where she and Darien had shared their first kiss. She remembered the way the sunset had made his eyes shine brighter as he had leaned down to claim her lips on his own.

"Darien..." she whispered. There was no stopping the tears this time. They flowed freely down her face as she tried to push away the memory she had once cherished so much. "Darien," she whined. She was now sobbing loud enough to draw the attention of the strangers walking past her. They threw her looks of curiosity, concern and even sympathy but Serena was paying no attention to them.

Why had it gone so wrong? What had happened? She needed to know. She was debating whether or not to go over to Darien's apartment to get answers when her communicator began beeping. She wiped away a tear and pulled the device from her pocket.

"Yeah?" she asked, trying to hide the fact she had been crying only moment before.

"Serena." Amy's face appeared in the small circle on the communicator. "We just heard some woman running down the street, yelling about an attack at the local supermarket. We're going there right now to check it out. Will you meet us there?"

"Of course. I'll see you there!"

She shut off the communicator and instantly began running across the bridge, towards the local supermarket. If the girls had still been at the Parlor when they heard about the attack, she was most likely going to get there before them. As her knees almost buckled underneath her, she began worrying if she had enough strength to defeat the Droid without the other Scouts help. She hadn't eaten anything for almost a day, for she no longer got any enjoyment out of food. As a result, she was exhausted and lacking energy.

"I've still got to help," she muttered. As the supermarket came into view, she heard a small cry from inside. There was definitely an attack happening. Serena ran into the small alley situated next to the supermarket and checked for any prying eyes before she grabbed her brooch from her chest and called out "Moon Crystal Power!"

The familiar sensation of being weightless surrounded her body as she placed the brooch back upon her chest. A pair of large, angelic wings flew out from her back before quickly disappearing when pink ribbons encircled her body. Her uniform appeared on her body with a burst of pink light, soon followed by the appearance of white gloves upon her hands. The ribbons flew down to her feet where they faded away to reveal a pair of pink, knee high boots. Her blue skirt flew towards her waist, complete with a pink bow on the back. Finally her tiara formed upon her forehead and the circles appeared on her meatballs. Her transformation was complete.

Without a seconds hesitation, she ran out from the alley and through the doors of the supermarket. A disgusting stench filled her nostrils instantly. Looking around, she saw that everything upon the supermarket shelves had melted into brown sludge.

"Yuck!" she yelled.

But her disgust disappeared when she saw all the customers on the floor unmoving. She could not see or sense her Scouts nearby, so she was their only hope.

"Oh great. The Sailor brat is here!"

Sailor Moon looked around to see who had spoken. Standing upon the top of one of the shelves was Prizma. She looked as evil as ever, with her dark green hair and the black upside down crescent moon on her forehead. There was a chilling smile on her features as she stared down at Sailor Moon.

"That's right!" Sailor Moon called with force she didn't know she had left. "You have polluted this supermarket and for that you need to be stopped. And I am just the girl to do that!"

Prizma laughed at the Sailor Scout. Sailor Moon ignored her.

"I am Sailor Moon! I stand for love and justice! And in the name of the moon, I will punish you!" She felt exhausted just giving her usual speech, but she couldn't let Prizma see this, or see would use her weakness for her advantage.

"Ha ha! I'd like to see you try!" Prizma scoffed down to Sailor Moon. "Avocado, finish her!"

Sailor Moon scanned the area around her, looking for the Droid they had called upon this time. Nothing happened. No monster appeared from anywhere. She was desperately hoping for some reason the droid was gone. She didn't know if she had the energy for this.

"Guacamole bomb!" something screeched.

Sailor Moon turned just in time to see the latest droid throw a handful of avocados towards her. They had to be more than just avocado's so she threw herself to the ground with a yell. When the avocado's hit the ground, they exploded in a burst of flames.

"Hey! This is my Droid and I'm the one that gives the orders!"

When the waves of avocado explosions ceased, Sailor Moon raised her head to see someone else standing beside Prizma on the shelf. It was one of the other sisters, Avery, with her orange and yellow outfit.

"I am the oldest sister so I give the orders!" Prizma yelled at Avery.

Sailor Moon took the opportunity to look over her attacker. This Droid was definitely one of the weirdest she had fought. It was a tall, olive skinned woman with spiked green hair. She wore cups like coconuts over her breasts and had a skirt made of leaves around her waist. Dangling from her ears were eggs and she had bunches of bananas upon her shoulders.

The droid seemed confused about who was giving the orders as the sisters fought, and had stopped her attacks. Sailor Moon pushed herself up off the ground with extreme effort. If there was ever a time to attack, it was now.

She tried summoned her sceptre, determined to finish this droid off without the other Scouts help. Maybe then they would believe she was still capable to be their leader. She was so focused on the effort of summoning and using her sceptre that she didn't see the droid grinning as it reached for one of its egg earrings.

"Rotten egg bomb!" it screeched, throwing the small but deadly egg towards the distracted Sailor Scout.

Sailor Moon heard the droid yell again and she knew she had been careless. She abandoned her attempt to conjure her sceptre and turned to see an egg flying towards her. A soft gasp passed her lips and her knees shook. She doubted she had enough energy to jump away from the attack. She wished her scouts were here.

Only a second had passed since the egg had been thrown towards her yet it felt like a lifetime. She braced herself for the inevitable pain.

A rose.

A rose flashed in her vision and hope flared inside her. The egg had been sliced in two and now lay beside the rose which had embedded itself in the floor.

"The stench of your rotten fruit cannot be tolerated!"

Sailor Moon followed the sound of the voice that had haunted her dreams. Standing up on the ledge of the windows was the masked man that sent a wave of happiness over her. He looked as handsome as ever, making her wonder if he had lost any sleep over their break-up like she had. It appeared not.

He had saved her again. Why would he come to save her if he didn't care for her?

"I will not allow you to use your poison to contaminate this supermarket any longer!" Tuxedo Mask called down to the latest droid.

"And you're going to stop me?" The droid threw back her head with laughter.

"No, we are!" Four people called out in unison.

Sailor Moon spun on her heel to see her four scouts, complete in their uniforms, ready to attack. She had never been so happy to see them.

"Fantastic. The whole bratty family's here!" Prizma said with sarcasm and hatred.

"Sailor Moon, do it now!" Tuxedo Mask yelled from his position on the ledge.

"Right!" she replied, the first thing she had said to him in weeks.

With her scouts and Tuxedo Mask with her, she now had enough time to summon her sceptre, as they would defend her from any attacks while she did so. She realised she had been foolish to think she could defeat this droid without any help.

"Finish them!" Prizma ordered.

As the droid readied itself for another attack, Sailor Moon managed to summon her sceptre, but it had taken almost every ounce of energy she had left.

"Moon Sceptre Elimination!" Sailor Moon aimed the powerful attack at the fruit droid and watched as it was reduced to dust.

All of the scouts yelled in triumph as another enemy was defeated.

"Well, we've got another engagement, but we will see you soon sailor brats!" Prizma announced with a grin, despite having just lost another droid. The next second, she had vanished.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Her sister Avery whined, disappearing after her. The instant they vanish, all the melted goods on the shelves were restored.

Sailor Moon had been trying to stay standing but the effort of it all had been too much. She fell to her knees with an exhausted groan. Her world was fading to black, but she couldn't faint now! She needed to see Tuxedo Mask before he left! It was the first time he had appeared at their fights since their break-up. She needed to talk to him.

"Sailor Moon!" The four girls cried out, concern obvious in their voices. They rushed towards their fallen leader.

"Sailor Moon, are you alright?" Lita asked, falling to her knees beside her.

"I-I'm fine." She shrugged off their concerns and tried to stand as she desperately search for her masked man. "Where's Tuxedo Mask?"

Sailor Venus shared a look with Sailor Mars before she replied softly, "He's gone already."


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon**

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><p><em>Ask me why I keep on loving you when it's clear that you don't feel the same way for me... the problem is that as much as I can't force you to love me, I can't force myself to stop loving you. ~Author Unknown<em>

"He's gone?" Sailor Moon whispered. Why would he just leave her? Didn't he see how much she had changed since he broke her heart? Didn't he want her to reassure him she was fine, even though she was not? Could he really no longer stand to be in her presence any longer than he had to be? Why did he come and save her then?

"I have to see him!" Serena said with such strength in her voice that her scouts didn't say anything against it. None of them thought anything good would come of it but if she thought it was something she needed to do, they wouldn't stop her. They hoped finally confronting him might be her first step to healing.

Her wave of desire to see Darien had filled her with strength. She pushed herself up from the ground and looked around at her friends with a smile. "Thank you."

Her friends returned her smile and watched as she ran out the doors, towards the man she loved.

"We should get out of here," Sailor Mars suggested. Many of the shoppers who had fallen unconscious in the attack were showing signs of waking. The girls nodded their head in agreement and ran out the doors. They de-transformed in the alley beside the supermarket.

"Do you think Darien will talk to Serena?" Mina asked as they left the scene of the attack behind them.

"I hope so," Amy replied, "For Serena's sake."

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><p>As the sun began to set against the Tokyo skyline, the fresh warm air was slowly replaced with a bitter chill. But the cold wind was the last thing on Darien Shield's mind. He only had one thing on his mind; a certain blonde haired meatball head.<p>

He had just seen her for the first time in almost two weeks. The sight of her had brought up all the feelings he had been trying to ignore.

For two weeks he had successfully avoided Serena. He no longer walked the same streets that she did; he never went to the Crown Fruit Parlor or the arcade; he suppressed the strong urge to run to her whenever he felt her transform. But today something changed. Today he had ignored that small voice in his mind telling him not to run to her. He had to. What if something happens to her and he's not there? He would never forgive himself if she was hurt because he had stayed away. He was Tuxedo Mask and it was his duty to protect the Sailor Scouts.

Yet some very small part of him was wishing he had never let down his defences and gone to her. Just one look at her long blonde hair and her shining blue eyes had made him weak. He wanted to run to her; to apologize for being so stupid and letting her go. Dreams or no dreams; he loved her and wanted to be with her.

But he couldn't. He didn't want to put her in danger. Although it was only dreams warning him to stay away from her, they felt real. They weren't normal dreams. They were more; they were real. And if they were to be believed, being with Serena would put her in danger. He had pushed her away because he loved her. He wished he could explain it all to Serena but he wouldn't. He already knew what she would say if he did. She would yell that she didn't care about being in danger, that she just wanted to be with him. But he did care about her and he wouldn't be the one to put her in harm's way.

Since that day on the street, when he had said those words that had brought tears to Serena's eyes, he hadn't been the same. He no longer got enjoyment from anything. All he did was stay inside and stare at the few photos he had taken of Serena, wishing she could be back in his arms. It killed him to know she thought that he no longer loved her. Oh, if only she knew! It was the total opposite! He loved her so much, he was willing to stay away from her for her own good. He loved her enough to let her go.

His appearance had changed with his depression, but as he had seen today, so had Serena's. He had been in complete shock when his eyes had fallen upon his meatball head. She looked so different and he hated knowing he had been the cause of it. Her eyes no longer held any happiness in them, her body had been shaking from the effort of the battle, and her spirit had disappeared. And he was the cause of it all. He wanted to run to her and make everything better. She was his everything and without her, he was nothing.

Darien growled in frustration as he jumped from the roof of one building and onto the roof of his own. As he watched the disappearing sunshine, his tuxedo and mask faded away into his normal clothes. As he looked down at the streets below him, watching the people rushing by, he wondered where she was.

"Serena, please forgive me."

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><p>"Darien," she whispered.<p>

Nothing and no one was going to stop her from seeing him. There was a burning in her heart that only he could extinguish. It was hurting her, consuming her, killing her. She needed him to stop it. She needed him.

Her body was screaming at her to stop, her muscles couldn't take the strain she was placing upon them but she couldn't stop. She rushed past the people on the street, ignoring everything. She had de-transformed the moment she had left the supermarket.

She had only her destination on her mind. She didn't even need to think about where to go. It was set into her brain, it was like a second home, it was where he was. She needed to be where he was.

The brief moments she had spent in his presence today made her realise what she should have done the very first day. She should have stopped waiting for him to come to her. She should have raced to his door and refused to leave until he saw her and explained everything; explained why he had broken her heart after he had promised never to hurt her. Nothing he could have done, no injury he could inflict, hurts as much the emotional pain he caused.

They were meant to be together and she was going to make him realise it.

His apartment building loomed ahead of her. The setting sun shone its last few rays at it, making it shine like a beacon. She bolted through the sliding doors and into the elevator. She pushed the button to his floor repeatedly until the doors slid close. This was it. She tried to steady her breaths and calm her pounding heart. The elevator doors slid open.

Wiping her sweaty hands on her skirt, she stepped out and walked towards his door.

She raised a shaking hand and pushed the doorbell. Was he home? Would he slam the door in her face when he saw it was her?

She was about to give up and leave when the door opened. There he was. Dressed in long brown pants and a light pink shirt, he looked as handsome as she remembered. She thought some part of her might be angry when she finally confronted him, but all she felt was happiness and love. Seeing his face made her heart swell with love. She couldn't describe how much he meant to her. He was her everything.

"Darien."

She watched as his eyes widened in surprise when he saw her. Obviously he hadn't taken a look through the peep hole to see who it was. Would he have still opened the door to her if he had?

Darien stared at her, happy to see her face once more yet sad at how much it had changed. His heart had leapt into his throat when he had opened his door to see her standing before him. He had gone to pull her into his arms when he remembered he couldn't. To be so close yet not being able to touch her killed him. He growled deep in his throat and stepped away from the door. He leant upon the wall of his hallway and turned to look at Serena, still standing at his doorstep.

"What do you want?" he asked with forced annoyance. He hated seeing the pain that flashed across her features when she heard his tone.

"I wanted to see you," she said as she stepped inside and shut the door softly.

"Why?"

Serena faulted as she heard his harsh tones. "I-I need to know why..."

"I just don't have the same feelings for you anymore," Darien lied. He was hoping with all his heart Serena would spot his lie. But he knew she hadn't when her face fell.

"You don't want to be with me?" she asked.

No! Why couldn't she see he was lying? Why has she given up so easily? Why didn't she fight for their love? Did she really doubt that he loved her? Why did she believe him when he lied?

"Serena, I don't want to be with you!" he stated with clarity, every word forced from his lips.

"Why? Give me a real explanation...please Darien. If it's because of my scores, I promise I'll study harder. Okay?"

When his name passed her lips, a shiver ran down his spine. Then shock hit him in the face. She thought he had broken up with her because of her test scores? How could she even think that? Yes, he wanted her to get a good education but he would never break up with someone because they weren't smart. He didn't know how to answer her question without giving it away that he still had feelings for her.

"Don't make me say it again! Our relationship is over!" He put all the bitterness and loathing he could muster into his voice but it was hard for him to do so when the hatred was aimed for Serena. He couldn't even look at her while he said it; instead, he stared at the ground.

"But...you can't have forgotten how you were Prince Darien and I was Princess Serena? It's our destiny. And-and even if it wasn't, it just feels right...being together. Doesn't it?" She stared at his face, which was turned away from her. Why wouldn't he look at her?

"I don't want to hear anymore!" Dairen growled, banging his fist against the wall. He saw Serena jump when he did so. "Why should my whole life be guided by things that happened to us in the past? I-" Darien choked for words as he made the mistake of looking at her. She was so beautiful, even with small tears shining in her eyes.

"Well...just tell me...if you don't love me, why do you keep on saving me?" Why save someone you don't love? He had to care for her, deep down, if he kept on coming to her rescues. He had to!

"Saving you has nothing to do with love. The Sailor Scouts protect this planet and so do I. I save you because the world needs you to protect it. It has nothing to do with love!"

Serena choked back a sob. So that's why he kept on coming. It wasn't because he loved her. He just wanted her alive so she could keep on protecting Earth. More tears formed in her eyes, until she couldn't see anything in front of her. She dropped her head. She couldn't look at him any longer.

"I guess...I guess we weren't meant to be with each other after all," she said in a small voice.

Dairen didn't reply. He couldn't. If he said anything more, he was sure something in his voice would betray him. _It needs to be this way_, he kept on reminding himself_, just until I know what these dreams mean...I need to keep you safe!_

The sound of a door opening yanked Darien from his thoughts. He looked up in time to see Serena leaving his apartment. His hand flew out to her without thinking, wanting her to stay. He wished she had turned, to see this act, but she left without one last look at him. The door closed.

Even through the walls he could hear her sobs. It killed him. He felt a severe pain in his chest; he was certain it was his heart breaking.

He felt like he was suffocating. He stumbled through his apartment until he reached the small balcony overlooking the streets below. He wished he could just ignore these dreams but they felt too real to disregard. He needed to find out why he was having them but he had no idea how to do that or how long it would take. What if he never figured them out? He couldn't imagine never seeing Serena again but that's what would happen if the mysteries of these dreams were never found. Right now he was living one day at a time. He hadn't thought about a future without Serena. It seemed impossible.

Darien looked out at the city below him, trying to imagine a future without the girl he was in love with. A sound below him made him frown. He knew what it was...he didn't want to look but he couldn't stop himself. Leaning over the balcony, he saw a small figure on the steps of the building. He couldn't miss that hairstyle. She was on her hands and knees; her figure was shaking from her cries. He had never heard anything like it in his life. Her sobs were so raw; they were coming straight from her heart...the heart he had just torn from her chest. He had never hated himself more than he did in that moment.

Tears weaved tracks down his cheeks as he listened to her broken-hearted howls. He fell to his knees. Every moment that passed that he had to listen to her sobs was torture. Minutes passed. He clenched his hands into fists, hoping the pain in his hands would distract him from the pain in his heart. He was on the verge of either running down to her and pulling her into his arms or calling Raye to come and get her.

He stood, not knowing which option he was about to take, when the cries subsided. He hesitantly peered over the railing. She had pushed herself up off the ground and was taking slow steps away from the building. Her shoulders were hunched, hands covering her face. He didn't think she was paying attention to where she was going, or maybe she didn't care, as she wasn't walking towards her house.

He wanted to follow her and make sure she would get somewhere safe but stopped himself. He was going to have to get use to letting her go. He wouldn't be able to watch over her for the rest of her life. He had to let her go.

* * *

><p>What had just happened? Had the love of her life really just crushed her heart? Why would he cause her that much pain?<p>

She replayed their conversation in her mind, even though the pain increased tenfold. He didn't care about their past lives; he didn't save her because he loved her; he didn't have the same feelings for her anymore.

She had never in her entire life felt pain anywhere close to what she was feeling. She wanted to lay down and die; she wanted to erase all her memories so she wouldn't have to feel any more pain. How could she go on with her life from this point? It seemed impossible. She hated that one man affected her life so much...but he was more than just some man. He was everything. He made her feel wanted, her made her feel loved...he was her soulmate; she knew it with all her body, soul, heart and mind. When she was alone, she felt like half of herself was missing, she wasn't complete...but when Darien came alone, she was whole. He completed her.

How could she move on from a love that strong? How could he?

The streetlights above her flicked on, lighting her surroundings. She finally realised she had been walking without a destination. She looked around to see she was standing in the park near Raye's temple. Normally she would have headed there without hesitation but she didn't want to be interrogated by her friends. She would be able to handle the pity on their faces.

She turned away and walked down the path that would take her to her house. She didn't want to be there either, as Rini would no doubt start annoying her the instant she entered the house, but she couldn't walk the streets all night.

"Where have you been meatball head?" a small voice screeched as Serena shut door behind her.

"Not now Rini," she sighed. She couldn't handle a whinging kid on top of everything today. She kicked off her shoes and trudged up the stairs. Unfortunately, Rini followed.

"You promised me you would take me for ice cream!" the small, pink haired child whined. She was clambering up the stairs behind her 'cousin', wanting to know why the meatball head had forgotten about her.

Serena walked into her room and quickly shut the door before Rini followed.

"Hey!" Rini yelled as the door slammed in her face.

The kid groaned. Why was the meatball head so upset? Maybe she and Darien had been in a fight? He probably realised how immature she was! That would explain why Serena was so sad. She had been sad for a while and been acting strange. She had stopped stealing all the snacks so Rini actually got to eat them now; she always stayed in her room so Rini could never get in and she kept on crying and saying 'Darien' in her sleep which annoyed her.

Darien had been acting funny too whenever she went over to his apartment for help on her homework. She had asked him why but he just said nothing was wrong. Then his face had fallen when she'd said Serena's name. What was with those two?


	3. Chapter 3

_Sometimes two people need to step apart  
>and make a space between<br>that each might see the other anew,  
>in a glance across a room<br>or silhouetted against the moon.  
>~Robert Brault<em>

"You reckon Darien talked to Serena?"

The four Sailor Soldiers were gathered around the table in Raye's room with only one thing on their mind. It was well into the night yet they had not heard a word from Serena. All of them were hoping a miracle had happened and Darien had changed his mind.

"I hope so," Mina said.

"Any more ideas why he broke up with her in the first place?" Lita asked.

They had discussed various ideas over the past two weeks but none of them seemed plausible. They still asked each other if they had come up with any more ideas about what had happened between the pair, but nothing came to mind. The breakup literally came from nowhere, with no explanation.

"I can't think of anything," Amy said.

Raye looked around at her friends. "Has anyone actually talked to Darien lately? Maybe if we just ask him he might tell us?"

"I tried!" Lita announced, with a sly grin on her face.

Mina gasped with fake shock. "Did you go over there to kick his ass?"

Lita's grin got bigger. "Maybe. But when he answered his door, he looked as bad as she did!"

"Really?" Raye asked with genuine shock. None of the girls, other than Lita, had seen Darien so they didn't know how hard he had taken the breakup.

"Totally! He had bags under his eyes, his hair was a mess and he looked awful!"

All the girls were shocked. Darien was looking as bad as Serena? Why? If he broke up with her, why was he taking it as hard as Serena? That didn't make sense.

"I wonder why?" Mina asked.

"Yeah. If he broke up with Serena, why does he look awful too?" Raye wondered aloud.

"The only reason someone would look that bad after a breakup is if they still liked that person!" Lita said.

Mina shook her head, sending her long blonde hair flying into the face of Amy. "Sorry!...But if he still likes her, then why did he break up with her? That doesn't make sense!"

"I still think it's because of her studies," Amy voiced.

The three girls shot her looks of disbelief. "No, that's not it." Lita said with a shake of her head. "Maybe..."

"What?" Raye asked, watching Lita's face as an idea formed in her mind.

"Well maybe...for some reason, Darien's staying away from her to protect her?" she suggested.

Amy frowned as she thought that idea over. "Protect her? From what?"

"I don't know! It was just a suggestion!" Lita threw her hands in the air.

It had just been an idea but it was the most logical one that explained why they were both hurting. Now they just had to figure out why he was trying to protect her by pushing her away.

"Maybe we should call her and find out what happened?" Mina suggested.

"I don't know. If she hasn't called us then she probably doesn't want to talk about it. Besides, we will see her tomorrow." Amy didn't want to make Serena talk about what had happened if it hadn't gone well.

"Well I at least hope she eats something!" Raye voiced as she remembered their recent battle and the toil it had taken on Serena. "She's fading away to nothing and if she doesn't pull herself together soon, she'll be in trouble."

"Do you think we should let her mother know what has happened? Maybe she can talk to Serena?" Amy proposed. Nobody liked running to somebody's mother to tell but Raye was right; Serena would be in trouble if she kept this up.

Mina bit her lip, wondering if it had come to that. "Surely her mum has noticed Serena's behaviour change? Hopefully she's already had a talk to her."

"Well if she has, then it hasn't worked," Raye pointed out.

* * *

><p>The moons bright shine usually gave Serena a sense of peace but as she stared at it through her open window, it only caused her heartache. She use to look at it and see Prince Darien and their secret love on the Moon Kingdom; the romantic walks they took in the royal gardens; the dances they had shared in the ballroom. Now all she saw was a love that was gone.<p>

Serena pulled the blanket on the bed closer around herself and Rini as a cool breeze came through the window. The toddler was wrapped around Serena's arm and snoring softly. She had yelled at Serena some more once she had finally squeezed her way in the bedroom but she had stopped when she had seen the look on Serena's face.

Serena knew she had wanted to ask what was wrong, and thank God she didn't, as she would have burst into tears if she had. She was barely holding it together. She didn't want to leave the bed. She wanted to lay in it all night and day. Why get up when you have nothing to live for?

Darien had been the sun in her life and now he had left her, she was stuck in the dark; she couldn't see the way in front of her. Their love had been so strong...so strong...so why was she giving up so easily? If their love really meant something to her...she needed to fight for him! She had been so consumed by the break-up and the thought of never being with Darien again that she hadn't thought about anything else. But now it made perfect sense. She would get him back!

"Yes!" she cried with a smile on her face, the first one in two weeks. That's what she needed to do, fight for him! She couldn't just lie down and give up! Their love had been everything to her; she wouldn't let it go so easily. Darien had said he didn't feel the same about her anymore but some part of her didn't believe him now that she thought about it. Maybe some tiny, minuscule part of him still held feelings for her. If he did, she was going to make sure he realised it. She had to show him what he was missing.

She needed to show him that she was mature and could handle anything. She needed to show him he had made a mistake in letting her go. She couldn't do that when she barely had enough energy to stand. She needed to pull herself together. She had to show Darien that she would love him...even if he believed that didn't love her.

* * *

><p>"Damn those Sailor Brats!" Prizma spat. She was normally a composed woman but her temper was wearing thin. Once again their plan to take over a Star Point had been interrupted by the appearance of Sailor Moon and the other Sailor Scouts. How did they always manage to arrive in time to stop them? She was getting frustrated and wanted nothing more than to blast those girls into smithereens.<p>

"Calm yourself Prizma."

The woman had been so involved in her thoughts and the image of a dying Sailor Moon that she had failed to see their leader was there.

"Rubeus I am getting sick of those Sailor girls defeating us!" Prizma stalked over to where he stood, next to the window of their spaceship, overlooking the primitive city of 20th century Tokyo. She couldn't understand how he was so calm! He was the one that would face the consequences from Prince Diamond if they failed. Why wasn't he infuriated that their plans had been foiled yet again?!

"I know you are Prizma, but soon everything will be going according to plan, and the Sailor Scouts will be no more." Rubeus said as his gaze travelled from the window to Prizma. She was confused to see an evil grin on his face.

"And how do you plan on getting rid of them?" she inquired.

"I have found another Star Point," he said. She followed him as he made his way into the centre of the dark room, surrounded by the mirrors. A hologram of the future city of Crystal Tokyo appeared before them. "It is a place called the Cherry Hill Temple."

"And how does that knowledge help us? They defeated us today when we tried to take a Star Point. Why will this one be successful?" Prizma asked as she circled around the holographic image of Crystal Tokyo.

Rubeus's grin widened. "Because this time you will call forth a Droid which is sure to destroy Sailor Moon and her scouts."

"And which Droid would that be?"

"Lady Thorn," Rubeus cackled. He had a gleam in his eyes that Prizma had only seen when he was confident about his plans and sure of their success.

"You're certain Lady Thorn can destroy Sailor Moon?"Prizma asked. She had heard of that particular Droid. Its attack was strong and deadly, and its aim was precise but she was still doubtful if it would be powerful enough to vanquish the Sailor Scouts. They were stronger and more powerful than she had originally thought. They had underestimated them and they had payed for it when they were constantly defeated by them.

"Oh yes, I am certain of it. When you attack this temple and fill it with our dark forces, the Sailor Scouts will come. And when you release Lady Thorn, they won't know what hit them." He cackled again and his eyes glinted with malice as his mind conjured images of what Lady Thorn would do to the Sailor Scouts. "And with the Sailor Scouts gone, the Rabbit will have no one protecting her and she will be ours!"

"I am still not sure if this Droid will do the job," Prizma voiced, "The Sailor Scouts are strong-"

"Are you kidding?" someone laughed.

Two pairs of eyes flew to where the voice had come from. After a moment, Avery stepped out from the shadows with a smile. She had been trying human beauty tricks again as she had green paste all over her face. She seemed oblivious to Rubeus's disgusted look as she skipped over to join the pair around the image of Crystal Tokyo.

"Did you see Sailor Moon today? She looked like one gust of wind would bowl her over!" Avery giggled.

"Yet she still managed to finish the Droid and defeat us!" Prizma shot back angrily. She wished her sister had stayed in the shadows. Prizma was the practical one who thought plans through unlike Avery. If Rubeus put her in charge of this plan, it was sure to be a disaster.

"But she is still weak and this strong Droid will surely finish her off!" Avery said with confidence as she slithered closer to Rubeus, who looked deep in thought.

"No-" Prizma began to shout before a loud voice cut across, silencing her.

"Stop it!" Rubeus's voice boomed through the room. "Tomorrow both of you will attack the Cherry Hill Temple, and when the Sailor Scouts arrive, you will call forth Lady Thorn and she will finish them."

* * *

><p>"You're...you're awake Serena!" Luna said with wide eyes.<p>

"Of course Luna!" Serena replied with a smile.

"But-but it's a Saturday! And it's not even 8!"

"I know, but I'm going to meet the girls at the temple!"

Luna didn't know what was going on! For two weeks Luna had been practically scratching Serena's face to shreds to get her out of bed and ready, but today she had been up before her! What was going on?

Luna had been worrying greatly over the Sailor Scout for weeks since Darien had broken up with her. She hadn't been the biggest fan of Serena and her klutz attacks but as the days passed and she changed, Luna found herself missing the old Serena. She had become a shell of her former self, although she had been crying just as much, if not more. Darien had been awful to Serena, breaking up with her for no reason. Luna had liked Darien before, now she just wanted to scratch him!

Although Luna had felt sorry for the girl, she had been getting worried, and annoyed, over the way she had been acting. She had been crying and acting like the world was ending; never wanting to get out of bed, hardly eating anything (highly unlike her) and barely paying attention to the world around her. Luna had tried to remind her that although it _seemed_ like the end of the world because Darien had broken up with her, it wasn't. She had tried to remind her that as a Sailor Scout, she had a duty to protect Tokyo, and Earth, from its enemies. Nothing she had said had gotten though to the girl.

She had been a moping mess for weeks and now suddenly she was actually smiling again. Luna knew it hadn't been something that Darien said to change her attitude because she had been a mess last night, telling her about how she had gone to see Darien and what he had said to her. So something had changed her in the time between her going to bed and waking up. Maybe she had just finally realised she was overreacting and had to pull herself together? Luna didn't care what had changed her mind, she was just happy to see her smiling again.

* * *

><p>For the first time in two weeks, Serena had breakfast with her family. And it was the first time in two weeks she had enjoyed eating food.<p>

Her mother and father were happy to see their daughter back to normal, shovelling food into her mouth like there was no tomorrow. They knew something had happened to their daughter to upset her but she seemed to be over it. Nothing made them happier to see their daughter happy.

"Gotta go mum! I'll see you later!" Serena yelled as she raced from the table to the door. She slipped on her shoes and was out the door a second later.

She ran down the streets of Tokyo, enjoying the warm sunshine of her skin. She almost laughed as she thought over how ridiculous she had been acting. How could she expect to get Darien back when she was a mess? He wouldn't take her back when she could barely hold herself together. She needed to pull herself together and show him how grown up she was. She would make sure he sees that she is responsible, mature and could defend Tokyo...no, the world, against anything! Then he would want her back!

"Raye!" Serena yelled as she ran up the steps to the Cherry Hill Temple. "Raye!"

"Meatball head, be quiet! It's early morning!" Raye yelled back. She had been at the steps to the temple sweeping up the fallen leaves when she heard pounding footsteps racing towards her. After yelling at Serena, it took her a few moments to realise it was Serena...up at 8 on a Saturday...smiling! "Serena...you're here...did something happen? Did Darien take you back?!"

Serena's face fell slightly when she mentioned Darien, but she quickly put the smile back up. She skipped her way over to the steps near Raye and sat. "No, but he will soon! I have a plan!"

Raye couldn't help but groan. None of Serena's plans ever went...according to plan. But if going along with it meant Serena finally getting back to normal, she would. Raye could already see a difference in Serena. She was no longer dragging herself around with effort, she had put effort into her appearance again and she was smiling, the biggest difference. She gathered after talking with Darien, Serena had finally decided to pull herself together. And now she was trying to get him back.

"And what's your plan?" Raye asked. She gave up her sweeping and sat down beside the grinning Serena. She really had changed overnight.

"Uh ah! You have to wait until the girls get here!" Serena squealed. "Do you have any food?"

Serena followed Raye around for the next hour, watching as the fire maiden did her chores, while she ate the doughnuts the girls had gotten to cheer her up two days ago. Serena had barely said two words to her friends in the past two weeks, so it seemed like she was catching up on lost time as she wouldn't not stop talking! She talked to Raye about absolutely anything and everything; from the Sailor V game she needed to get back to playing to how annoying Rini was and everything in between. After 10 minutes Raye was ready to tell her to shut it but didn't want to say anything harsh after she had just gotten better.

"Hey, where's your Grandpa and Chad?" Serena asked.

"Grandpa has gone to Shizuoka for a few days and Chad's on holiday with his family," Raye answered in a huff as she scrubbed the floors.

"Ooh Shizuoka! We should go on a holiday-"

Finally Raye was saved from Serena's motor mouth when the other girls arrived. Each of them was just as shocked as Raye had been to see how drastically Serena had changed in less than a day. Gone was the depressed, miserable and spiritless Serena that had sat across from yesterday. The old Serena was back and God they had missed her! They would never yell at her or call her a cry baby ever again!

Once the initial shock was over, the girls went into Raye's room where Serena explain that although Darien had not taken her back, she was going to win him back. She began gushing about how she was going to show him she was mature, responsible and smart, so that he would want her back again. She thought that if she acted more like the Princess she had been in her previous life, Darien would remember how strong their love and been back then and want to be with her again.

Serena was so giddy about it that none of the girls said anything against her idea. They didn't want to deflate her bubble and have her crawl back into her shell. They didn't ever want to lose her again like they had for the past weeks.

All of the girls wanted Serena back with Darien but they were unsure if her plan would work. Nevertheless, they would support her, and maybe by some miracle, her plan would work! It was the best they could hope for.

Each Scout had their part to play; Amy would help Serena study after school to improve her test scores, Lita would teach Serena martial arts so she could defend herself better and stop Tuxedo Mask from saving her so much, Mina would give Serena a makeover and Raye would teach Serena how to act less ditzy and klutzy. And stop yelling at her.

Serena wanted to get started on her plan straight away so Raye began teaching her how to talk so she sounded more intelligent. After just ten minutes Raye wanted to take a break so they began teaching her how to walk without falling over anything. They piled three books onto her head and made her walk up and down the walkway until none of the books fell off. It was midday before Serena decided to take a break and scoff down more doughnuts. The girls watched as the doughnuts disappeared before their eyes with grins on their faces.


	4. Chapter 4

**_Disclaimer: _**_I do not own Sailor Moon!_

* * *

><p><em>The way to love anything is to realize that it may be lost. ~G.K. Chesterton<em>

* * *

><p>"Today was great. Thank you Lita, Raye, Amy, Mina!" Serena said.<p>

Serena was on her back on Raye's bedroom floor with food wrappers around her. Since she had lost some weight from hardly eating anything in the last two weeks, she was eating twice as much as she normally did. All the girls were glad to see her stuffing her face that they hadn't even tried to steal any.

"You're welcome Serena. We all had fun!" Lita said from Raye's bed where she was reading a magazine. Mina lay next to her with her head dangling over the side of the bed, seeing the world upside down. "Yeah, and you look great Serena!"

After learning to walk and talk like a 'proper lady', Mina had given Serena a mini-makeover. They hadn't wanted to change too much since Darien had liked the way Serena looked and he was, after all, who Serena was trying to impress. They had left her meatball hairstyles alone as the hairstyle had grown on Darien and was Serena's 'look'. Mina had applied a light layer of make-up to keep her looking natural, applied light pink nail polish to her fingernails (all the girls had wanted Mina to do their nails afterwards) and Raye had let her borrow a strapless white dress which hugged Serena in all the right places.

"Yeah Serena, you look stunning!" Amy said, looking up from the textbook she was reading at the small table in the centre of the room. "And we'll start our study sessions tomorrow!"

Serena groaned slightly out of habit but forced herself to stop. She needed to study if she was to improve her results and show Darien she wasn't dumb. It was going to take a while to get use to actually sitting down and studying but she needed to do it. She wasn't sure if just having good marks was enough to bring him back to her but she wanted to give it a shot. She would do anything to have him back in her life- even studying. _Besides_, she thought_, it would be nice to see a mark higher than 40 on my tests and mum will be happy_.

"Hey, do you girls want to stay over for a sleepover?" Raye asked. It was late in the afternoon and, although she wouldn't admit it, Raye didn't want the girls to leave, especially Serena. They had two weeks of gossiping and fighting to catch up on and she loved having the old Serena back.

"Yeah!" Serena, Lita and Mina yelled at once.

All eyes turned to Amy. She bit the inside of her lip as she looked around the girls. "I guess I can take one night off studying."

"Yay!" Serena yelled. She reached over and yanked the textbook out of Amy's hand. "Raye's grandpa and Chad are gone so it's girls only! Comics, movies, magazines and doughnuts!"

Lita laughed at her enthusiasm. She really was back. It seemed too good to be true.

"Well we are going to have to go out and get more doughnuts," Mina said as she picked up the empty doughnut box.

Serena laughed. "Sorry!" She couldn't describe how much she had missed hanging out with the girls.

She hadn't realised until that moment how deep she had gone into her depression over Darien. It shocked her to think about it. She never should have allowed herself to sink so deep. Part of her was embarrassed that she had gone so deep that none of her friends had pulled her out. She was lucky she had been able to pull herself out. Only one thought was keeping her from sliding back into the hole; the thought of Darien taking her back into his arms. And she knew it would happen- it had to! She wouldn't give up until it did. She didn't care if it took weeks, months or even years! She had all the time in the world and she would spend every minute of it getting Darien back. Nothing could stop her!

"Lets go!" Lita said.

The girls chased each other out of the temple and down the street. They walked arm in arm to the local supermarket. Along the way Mina pointed out all the cute guys. Serena laughed along with the other girls but kept her eyes searching her surroundings. She was hoping to see a certain someone with a mop of black hair and a set of strong shoulders. She admitted to herself that she looked stunning after Mina's makeover, especially with the beautiful white dress she was wearing. She only hoped that Darien would see her while she looked amazing.

"Time for supplies!" Lita announced as they entered the supermarket.

All five girls immediately went off in different direction, weaving through the many aisles. Ten minutes later they emerged with their chosen items at the checkout. Serena's arms where bludging with doughnuts and dumplings, Raye had chosen chips and cupcakes, Lita picked out popcorn and chocolate while Amy had one bag of lollies and one bag of apples.

"Apples?!" Serena shrieked.

"I don't want to eat too much sugar tonight," Amy stated simply.

They loaded their items onto the counter and pooled all their allowances together. In the end, they had to get rid of some things so the apples were the first to go, followed by the chips. They soon left with bags full of their yummy treats.

"What are you girls up to?" a voice asked.

Serena began freaking until two cats stepped out from behind a bush. One was as black as night, the other was white as snow. Their only similarity was the crescent moon shape upon their foreheads.

"Luna! We were just getting supplies for our sleepover! We're going to gossip and read comics!" Serena admitted. She braced herself for Luna's yelling but it never came.

"Sounds fun," Artemis said.

All of the girls were shocked but it dawned on them that the cats were, like them, happy to have Serena back to her usual self. Luna jumped onto Serena's shoulder where she was greeted with a scratch under her chin. Luna purred her appreciation.

"I can't wait!" Serena said with genuine happiness. She began running up the steps of the Cherry Hill Temple until Raye's hand grabbed her arm. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"I sense evil nearby," Raye said. She closed her eyes and tried to sense exactly where the evil aura was coming from. All of the scouts were waiting nervously, hoping that, just this one, Raye was wrong. None of them wanted to fight a Droid but they couldn't ignore one. They had a duty as Sailor Soldiers to protect the people of Earth whenever evil is near.

A familiar and chilling cackle filled the air.

"No! They're at the Temple!" Raye exclaimed.

"Quick, transform!" Luna cried in alarm.

None of the girls needed to be told twice. Their bags full of treats fell to the ground as their yells echoed around the surroundings.

"Mercury Power!"

"Jupiter Power!"

"Venus Power!"

"Mars Power!"

"Moon Prism Power!"

One moment there had been 5 ordinary girls standing on the street. A second later, 5 Sailor Soldiers stood in their place. "Lets go!" Mars cried.

They ran up the steps to the temple, ready to confront whoever dared to attack Raye's home. Their hearts were pumping, blood rushing through their veins. Serena was scared, as she was in every fight, but she was also determined. This was the fight where she would prove she wasn't a klutzy cry baby. She would defeat this Droid, as she had plenty more strength than yesterday. And if Tuxedo Mask showed up, she would show him that she could defend herself.

"Hahaha! Just as expected! The Sailor brats arrive the save the day!"

The girls stopped as they reached the top of the stairs and scanned the situation before them. Floating above the entrance to the temple were the two people they really didn't want to deal with; Prizma and Avery.

"How dare you attack this sacred temple and fill it with your negative energy!" Sailor Moon bellowed with more force than usual. "I am Sailor Moon! I will write wrongs and punish evil! In the name of the Moon, I will punish you!"

"Ha! You've run straight into our trap!" Prizma grinned. Maybe this plan would work after all?

"What trap?" Sailor Jupiter yelled.

"MY trap!" Avery corrected. "I have a Droid that you CANNOT defeat! Come out Lady Thorn!"

There was a moment of suspense, where no one spoke or moved. All of the scouts were bracing themselves for the latest Droid they were about to confront. Avery had to be lying. If they couldn't defeat this Droid, they were in trouble. But they had defeated all the Droids they had thrown at them so far and they could do it with this one.

"Lady Thorn has arrived!"

A shadow moved within the trees that surrounded the temple. All breaths were held as the Droid stepped out from the trees.

Gasps escaped the Sailor Scouts lips. It was the nastiest and deadliest Droid they had faced.

It was a large woman who stood at over 2 metres. She wore a tattered red dress that barely covered her muscled body. Her skin was deep green, her eyes were blood red and instead of hair, she had a large rose atop her head. But what put the fear into the Sailor Scouts were the thorns covering every inch of her skin. They were razor sharp, glinting in the dying sunlight, and varied in shape from as tiny as a tooth pick to as big as Luna and Artemis, put together. She was a terrifying sight.

"Bow to Lady Thorn!" it cried.

"We will never bow to evil like you!" Mina yelled, swallowing her fear. If it sensed their fears, it would only motivate it further.

"If you do not bow, you will die!" it screamed. Without warning, one of the medium sized thorns ripped away from her body and sailed with amazing speed towards the Sailor Soldiers.

"Ahh!" the girls cried as they threw themselves to the ground. The thorn whistled as it sailed over their heads. That had been a close call.

"Supreme Thunder Crash!" Sailor Jupiter was the first to her feet and sent her attack straight for the Droid.

The rest of the girls got to their feet as they watched the Droid dodge Jupiter's attack with ease.

"Ha! You think you can defeat me with those little tricks?" Lady Thorn cackled. Three more thorns of varying sizes detached from her body and flew towards the scouts. All of them screamed as they missed them by inches. The evil sisters had not been exaggerating; this was the worst Droid they had faced. Mars sent her fire towards the monster, but yet again, the dodged it was ease.

"What are we going to do?!"Mina yelled.

Darien never knew how interesting the pattern on his roof was. Swirls and squiggles of endless patterns and shapes. There were a thousand different images on the ceiling of Darien's room yet in every single one he found reminded him of the one he lost. A gorgeous smile, a small tiara, a meatball, a crescent moon, a bow, a pair of striking eyes, a dumpling.

He had barely slept. He was afraid to. Every time he closed his eyes, all he could hear was her heart breaking sobs and all he could see was her shaking figure. So instead he stared at his ceiling, hoping somehow he might have an epiphany that would solve all his problems.

And all his problems originated from these dreams. Solving them would solve his problem.

So why was he having these dreams? Many people believe that dreams are visuals of the subconscious; that every symbol in dreams originated from a thought buried in the subconscious mind. So was it his subconsciousness telling him to stay away from her? Deep down inside, did he really believe that being with Serena would put her in danger?

No.

Maybe.

Darien slammed his fist down on the bed in frustration. His thoughts were jumbled around like a puzzle and he had no idea how to put them back together.

He wondered what she was doing.

Had she fallen apart even more since yesterday?

Or had she picked up the pieces of her heart and decided to move on from him?

The thought of Serena being with another man sent waves of jealousy through him; his blood boiled. Would she really move on? Would she find someone who loved her just as much as he did? No, no one on Earth...in the galaxy would love Serena more than he did. But he couldn't expect her to continue loving him when he pushed her away. She would move on but he never would.

His mind began conjuring images he didn't want to see.

He saw a grinning Serena, hand in hand with a nameless, faceless man. He saw her in a flowing white gown, saying "I do" to someone that wasn't him. He saw a small child held carefully in her arms as she gazed down adoringly and lovingly at them.

She had a future ahead of her that didn't include him.

He would watch from afar while her life progressed, and his wouldn't.

Darien gasped. A familiar tingle erupted over his skin. Serena had just transformed into Sailor Moon. The invisible cord that tied her to him told him she was at the Cherry Hill Temple. A Droid must be there.

He was already off the bed and at the door when his mind caught up with his body.

No.

He couldn't always rush to her. She was a Sailor Soldier and could defend herself. Going to her would only hurt them both. He didn't know how many times he could push her away before his defences crumbled and he took her back. The Sailor Scouts can, and have, defeated Droids and other monsters without his help.

But what if something happens to her?

She was so weak yesterday...what if she collapses during the fight and the monster attacks her? What if...

There were thousands of what if's. But he knew something for certain; if she was hurt because he wasn't there for her, he would never forgive himself.

That one thought settled his internal debate. He ran out of his apartment and into the elevator. As soon as he hits the streets, he would transform into Tuxedo Mask and run to her side.

"We can't keep this up forever!" Mars shouted as she dodged another flying thorn.

They had barely been fighting for 10 minutes and already the girls were exhausted, especially Serena.

All the girls had tried their attacks on the Droid but it continued to evade them without breaking a sweat. The Scouts, however, were very sweaty from dodging the Droid's endless thorns. They had hoped that she would eventually run out of them but when one ripped off, another grew back to take its place.

None of the girls were in good shape. They were covered in scrapes and bruises from where they had thrown themselves on the ground to avoid a thorn. They desperately needed to find out how to get rid of it but Mercury, like all of them, had barely enough time to duck attacks let alone stop to analyse any of its weak spots. Sailor Moon hadn't even been able to try her Moon Sceptre.

The sun was setting and the fight couldn't continue into the night. Someone had to lose soon and it looked like it was going to be the Sailor Scouts. Prizma and Avery were enjoying watching the Sailor Scouts run for their lives. They floated above the temple, watching their fiercest Droid battle the scouts.

"Any ideas?" Sailor Jupiter screamed as she ducked behind a tree to avoid a particularly large thorn. The girls had split up around the temple, trying to confuse the Droid about who to attack but there was no success. The Droid threw the thorns with speed and accuracy and didn't even need to see where they were to aim for them. Jupiter, Mercury and Mars were using the trees for cover on one side of the temple, Venus was using the entrance of the temple for some protection while Sailor Moon had none, as she was at the top of the stairs.

"No!" Sailor Moon cried out to Jupiter. A thorn broke off Lady Thorn and zoomed for her. She threw herself to the ground, yet again. She yelled out in fear as she felt the wind from the thorn as it sailed past her. She pushed herself off the ground in preparation for another attack when her ankle buckled beneath her. She screamed in pain and fell to her knees.

"Sailor Moon!" four voices cried out. She looked up, fear gripping her heart, to see a thorn streaking towards her. She didn't have enough time to move out of the way. She barely had enough time to think of the one person she wanted to see before she died.

She braced herself for the pain...which didn't come. Instead, she felt herself being embraced by a pair of strong arms. His warmth radiated off him, giving her comfort. His scent filled her nostrils and made her smile.

He had saved her, again.

Her smiled faded as she remembered part of her plan was learning how to defend herself so he didn't have to save her. She opened her eyes to look up into the masked face of the man who she loved. Barely a second had passed since he had taken her into his arms and she didn't want it to end. But it had to, and it did.

Darien had barely made it in time. He cursed himself for his earlier hesitation.

He had been running up the steps to the temple, already transformed, when four girls cried out _her_ name. He had made it up the steps just in time to see a large...thorn flying for her. With lightning speed, he surged forward to take her into his arms and jump out of the way of the thorn.

But he had not jumped fast enough. A wave of pain crashed over him as the thorn shot by, grazing his arm. A small rip appeared in his tuxedo and droplets of blood pooled from the scratch. He couldn't believe the pain he was in from such a small cut. His head felt like it was going to explode and his arm was throbbing in agony.

He pushed his mind past the pain and focused on the girl in his arms. She had a small smile on his face, the one that sent shivers down his spine. He forced himself to look away.

He landed beside the trees that surrounded most of the temple. He placed Sailor Moon gently down on the grass and turned to assess the situation. All of the Scouts were spread out around the Droid, a green skinned woman covered in thorns with a giant rose on her head. He hated seeing the symbol of love on a horrible monster.

It looked like the Scouts had been losing the battle. Thorns littered the area, embedded in the ground and trees, yet the Droid did not seem to be running low. He watched as two more thorns ripped away from her body and flew towards Sailor Mercury and Sailor Mars. Both of the Scouts managed to dodge the thorns. He wondered why they had not tried any attacks...or maybe they had but they hadn't worked.

"You cannot defeat Lady Thorn!" the Droid yelled with glee.

He knew they were in trouble.

The pain in his shoulder reached a new high that forced him to his knees, gasping. How could such a small cut from a thorn cause this pain?

Sailor Moon watched as Tuxedo Mask...Darien fell to his knees. She had forgotten about the battle raging just meters away, her eyes her on him and him alone. She saw his hand fly to his arm. Pulling it back, blood coated his fingers. Guilt overcame her as she realised he had been injured saving her.

"Prepare to die cape boy!"

Sailor Moon looked up to the battle she had ignored. The Droid had a sinister look on its face as one of the largest thorns came away from its body and sailed towards the fallen Tuxedo Mask.

Darien was distracted by the pain coursing through his body to notice the deadly attack heading straight for him.

Fear engulfed Sailor Moon. Her heart pounded so hard she thought it would leap from her chest. She couldn't let him die! All the times he had protected her, it was her time to protect him.

Without any hesitation, she leapt to her feet, ignored the pain that flared in her ankle, and flung herself towards Tuxedo Mask. Her arms pushed on his back, forcing him to the ground as the thorn shot at her. She didn't feel fear, she felt happiness...she had been able to protect him.

"Sailor Moon! NO!"

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><p><strong><em>If you would like to read more, please review :) Every writer loves to hear feedback so take ten seconds of your time to leave some below<em>.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer**_: I do not own Sailor Moon_

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><p><em>Life is eternal, and love is immortal,<br>and death is only a horizon;  
>and a horizon is nothing save the limit of our sight<br>- Rossiter Worthington Raymond_

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><p>Time seemed to slow down. No one moved. No one spoke.<p>

No one could do anything.

They couldn't help her. They couldn't save her.

They were forced to watch her die.

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><p>Darien knew he should be paying more attention to the battle raging around him. It was foolish to stop during a battle but all he could feel was the pain coursing through his arm into his body. His arm was on fire, his head was about to explode. He was crouching on the ground, one hand holding his injured arm.<p>

He couldn't tell if Sailor Moon was near him. Had she gotten back up to fight? Or was she still behind him where he had set her down?

A tingle travelled down his spine. His sense that he was in danger.

He barely had time to look up at the largest thorn shooting towards him. Two soft yet firm hands were on his back, shoving him down. He was sent face first down into the ground. Confusion clouded his mind until he realised what was happening. A second too late.

He heard the sound of flesh tearing followed by a soft gasp. Still on the ground, he turned his head, not ready for what he would see.

Pain was evident on her features, yet her eyes held a sparkle of happiness. Her mouth was open in surprise but it tugged up at the corners. His eyes travelled down to her stomach. He almost retched.

Protruding from her stomach was the large thorn meant for him. Blood poured from the wound, soaking her uniform. Her delicate hands were trying to stop the blood. He watched in horror as her life seeped through her fingers. The blood was staining her white gloves.

Time had slowed.

He watched her eyes travel to meet his, fear mixed with triumph. Her eyes never left his.

Darien wanted to move; to run to her but he couldn't push himself up off the ground. Fear and horror had seized his muscles, making it impossible for him to move. The battle that had been raging around him was forgotten. He had no idea what was happening behind him, nor did he care. All he cared about was his soul mate in front of him...dying.

Serena was surprised at how little dying hurt. The large thorn that had ripped through her stomach wasn't causing as much pain as she thought it would. Her hands were around the large object still sticking out from her stomach. Blood was soaking her gloves as well as her uniform; it ran down her legs in thick rivers. It was when she tasted the blood in her mouth did she really become scared. She coughed. Blood was now seeping out of her mouth.

Her legs suddenly seemed incapable of holding her up. She began to fall backwards when she saw Darien finally move from the ground. His strong arms caught her. He pulled her close so her upper body was resting on his lap.

She knew she didn't have much time left. She wasn't scared of dying; she didn't regret her decision to sacrifice her life for Darien's. She knew without a doubt she would do it over again exactly the same way. She had protected her love, and that's all that mattered.

Something was hitting her face. Water. Falling tears. Her eyes travelled upwards to meet his. She wanted to reach up and wipe away his tears but she couldn't with her bloodied gloves.

"Why?" he whispered.

She smiled. "You are always...protecting me," she choked out between breaths, "now I protected you."

Darien couldn't breathe. The love of his life was lying in his lap, bleeding to death. And there was nothing he could do. He hadn't saved her.

This wasn't supposed to happen! She was supposed to be protected.

Maybe this is what the dream had been about? He had run to her and now she was dying.

"Please don't go," he sobbed, "please. I love you."

Despite her situation, she suddenly smiled. "You love me?" She knew it. She knew that despite the words he had said to her yesterday, he still loved her. She didn't know why he had tried to push her away but she didn't care anymore. She was leaving with the knowledge that he loved her. That was all she needed.

Darien tried to stop the tears that were falling steadily down his face. He wanted to be strong for her, to not show how scared he really was. "Yes. Serena, I love you so much." He lifted a gloved hand to wipe away one small tear forming in the corner of her eye. He suddenly wanted to feel her skin, to feel it one last time with its warmth and glow. He tore off his glove with his mouth and gently laid his bare hand on her cheek. "I always have and I always will," he said as he savoured the heat of her skin, knowing soon it will be cold and pale.

Serena softly smiled. She didn't want to die scared. She didn't want Darien to remember her like that. With her last bit of energy, she wiped her hand on her skirt, trying to get some of the blood off of it, and laid it over the top of Darien's hand on her cheek. "I love you Darien," she whispered. Serena coughed one last time, sending a fresh stream of blood out of her mouth, before her chest stilled and her heart stopped. Her eyes slid close and her hand fell away from his. She would have looked peaceful in death had it not been for the large thorn still in her abdomen and the blood soaking her body.

Fresh tears fell as Darien looked down at his soul mate. His dead soul mate. "No!" he howled, his voice breaking with grief. "Please don't leave me Serena! Please!" In an act of desperation, he bent his head and placed his lips against her unresponsive ones. He willed her to live, willed his life to leave him and enter her. But this was not a fairytale. This was not a happy ending where a kiss saved the heroine and brought her back to life. "I love you," he murmured as a tear rolled off his cheek and fell onto hers. He clutched her limp body closer to his and began rocking back and forth. "Please don't leave me. Serena, come back. Please. I love you Serena, please! I need you...Serena...come back." His words eventually turned into incoherent sobs as he held her bloodied body.

She couldn't be gone! This wasn't how it was suppose to go. He should have saved her. He always saves her. But now she had saved him and paid the ultimate price. And it was his entire fault. The love of his life was dead because of him. He could never forgive himself.

He suddenly felt the presence of the other Sailor Scouts behind him. They must have defeated the Droid.

"Tuxedo Mask?" Sailor Mercury asked.

He didn't turn around to face them. He couldn't. Instead he held onto her body and closed his eyes, trying to ignore the Sailor Scouts behind him. If he turned around, all he would see is the disappointed and sadness on their faces. They would blame him for her death. They would be right but he already hated himself enough without having them hate him too.

"Darien?" Sailor Mars said as she took a step closer to the pair. "Is she...?"

Darien took in a shuddering breath and prepared the words that would haunt him for his rest of his life.

"She's dead."

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><p>All the Sailor Scouts had breathed out a sigh of relief when Tuxedo Mask and swooped in and saved Sailor Moon once again. All of them had been too far away and too busy dodging thorns to help. After their confrontation the day before, none of them had expected Tuxedo Mask to show but thank goodness he had.<p>

"You cannot defeat Lady Thorn!"

With Sailor Moon safe in Tuxedo Mask's arms, their attention was soon back on the Droid Lady Thorn. But the Droid's attention wasn't on them. Instead it had its eyes locked on Tuxedo Mask who had suddenly fallen to his knees. Despite all the pain he had called Serena over the last two weeks, they were still concerned for his welfare.

"Tuxedo Mask!" Sailor Mars called out from the trees on the other side of the temple. She wished she could run across to help but she was stuck in her hiding place, as were all the girls. The Droid's attacks were so fast and precise that they couldn't risk moving out into the open.

"Prepare to die cape boy!" the Droid screamed as it focused all of its attention on the fallen Tuxedo Mask.

The scouts watched in terror as the Droid threw the largest thorn at Tuxedo Mask. All eyes but Sailor Mercury's were watching the thorn sail through the air towards their friends. Sailor Mercury was instead using everyone's momentary distraction to her advantage. Her hand flew up to her earring and with a quick press, her blue visor slid across her eyes. Instantly it began scanning the Droid, looking for anything they could use to destroy it. She heard someone scream "Sailor Moon! NO!" but she couldn't stop to see what was going on. This might be her only chance to find out how to destroy the horrendous Droid so she kept her eyes on it, ignore the strong desire to check and see if Sailor Moon was okay.

"The rose!" Sailor Mercury yelled when her visor had finished analysing the Droid. "The rose is her weak spot. Aim for her rose!"

For a moment, none of the other Sailor Scouts moved. Their eyes were glued on their leader...bleeding. None of them could believe what they were seeing. Sailor Moon had pushed Tuxedo Mask out of danger but in doing that, she had put herself in danger. And now they watched in horror as she fell to her knees with the large thorn sticking out of her stomach.

The Droid cackled with victory while the rest of the Scouts screamed in fear for their leader and Princess.

Sailor Mercury finally looked to see what had happened. Her breath caught in her throat. Her first instinct was to fun over there but with the Droid still standing in the middle of the courtyard, they were still in danger.

"THE ROSE!" Sailor Mercury cried out again. The sooner they defeated the Droid, the sooner they could go and help Serena. Her yelled seemed to pull the Scouts out of their trance. From their hiding spots, they took a fighting stance and prepared their attacks. They might only get one chance at this before the Droid realises what they're doing. It was now or never.

"Mercury Ice Bubbles Freeze!"

"Mars Fireball Charge!"

"Jupiter Thunder Dragon!"

"Venus Crescent Beam Smash!"

"No! Please don't leave me Serena! Please!"

They were the words no one wanted to hear. While their attacks flew straight and true to their target, the scouts were too busy to notice. All of them were watching Tuxedo Mask crying over Serena. None of them wanted to believe what was happening. It just couldn't be true. They wouldn't believe it, not until they saw it with their own eyes.

The Droid, still laughing at the damage she had done, wasn't aware of the attacks coming straight for it until it was too late. It threw up its hands in a vain attempt to protect itself. All four attacks hit the rose on the Droid's head at the same time and sent out a powerful wave of power. Blinding light shone from the Droid as it crumpled into dust while screaming.

Instead of yelling in disappointment like they usually did, Prizma and Avery began to laugh. "You may have defeated Lady Thorn," Prizma said.

"But we have defeated Sailor Moon!" Avery finished.

They faded away while still cackling.

Not a second had passed before all of the Sailor Scouts ran across the courtyard to Tuxedo Mask. He was sitting on the grass with Sailor Moon in his lap. His back was to them meaning all they could see of Sailor Moon was the top of her head and her legs, which had blood all down them. The rest damage that had been done wasn't visible to them.

They sucked in a breath as they wondered what Tuxedo Mask was shielding from them.

"Tuxedo Mask?" Sailor Mercury asked. She was trying to prompt him to say something. She was too scared to outright ask the question none of them wanted to ask.

"Darien," Sailor Mars said after a moment of silence. She took a hesitant step forward, one she regretted when she saw over his shoulder what Sailor Moon had become. But she needed to know. "Is she...?"

She saw the rise and fall of Tuxedo Mask's shoulders as he drew in a breath. She waited for confirmation of what she already knew.

"She's dead."

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><p><strong><em>Please leave a review below! I love reading them!<em>**


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